EMBR Dispensary in Northampton MA

EMBR, a King Street favorite

Walk into EMBR Dispensary in Northampton MA and look up. On one wall, a mural shows Northampton City Hall and the First Churches of Northampton. On another, a West Coast cannabis brand glows in lights. That mix of hometown pride and West Coast roots sums up the shop at 144 King Street pretty well.

EMBR says it serves the whole Pioneer Valley, from Amherst and Hadley to Easthampton, Holyoke and Greenfield. Its pitch is simple: friendly budtenders, guidance built around what you want, and prices its own team calls accessible. Here is the story of the store and everything you need to plan a visit.

Open since spring 2022

The Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission lists 144 King Street as an active, licensed adult-use cannabis retailer, open since March 31, 2022.

The Daily Hampshire Gazette reported that EMBR held a soft launch on April 16, 2022, timed to line up with Carniroll, a three-day music festival at the Three County Fairgrounds in Northampton. About six weeks later came the official grand opening, with a morning ribbon-cutting led by Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra. The mayor spent time talking with customers and thanked the owners for choosing to open a business in Northampton. In the afternoon, a food truck, Chicken Man’s Chicken Shack, parked outside from 3 to 6pm.

A husband and wife team, and a sister store

EMBR Northampton is a sister store to Fyre Ants in Easthampton. According to the Gazette, both shops are managed by the same husband and wife team, Kot and Leakhena Kasom. The two stores sit about four miles apart, and staff may work at either one. The Gazette also noted that shoppers can find many of the same bargains and sale prices at both locations, depending on what is in stock.

Fyre Ants is the one with the famous throne made of giant joints, built by Easthampton artist Joseph Pesce. That throne even made a trip to Carniroll, where rapper Waka Flocka sat on it during his set. “It’s a one-of-a-kind piece of art,” Kot Kasom told the Gazette. If you want a photo on it, you will need to head down Route 10 to Fyre Ants.

It’s been a road

Opening a cannabis shop in Massachusetts takes patience. Kot Kasom described about 18 months of state and local approvals before EMBR could open its doors. “It’s been a road,” he told the Gazette, adding that the work included getting the right vendors and partners in place and launching at the right time.

Quality at prices people can reach

From day one, the Kasoms talked about value. “We want to sell quality for affordable prices,” Leakhena Kasom told the Gazette at the grand opening. She said a more accessible price point helps people who might otherwise turn to the street or not be able to afford it at all.

Kot Kasom said EMBR works with all vendors, and he described the prices as “some of the best” in the area. EMBR’s own website still leans on that idea today, describing reasonable prices and a shop that serves both beginners and experienced customers.

West Coast roots

EMBR has a bigger story too. The Gazette described Phat Panda, a well-known West Coast cannabis brand, as the company that founded EMBR dispensaries. On grand opening day the staff wore Phat Panda T-shirts and lanyards, and the brand’s logo and name light up the store’s eastern wall.

Today EMBR runs four shops. Two are in California, in La Mesa and Lake Elsinore. The other two are in Western Massachusetts: Northampton and a newer store on Boston Road in Springfield.

A mural made for Northampton

The northern wall is the one locals tend to notice. Its mural shows Northampton City Hall and the First Churches of Northampton, two landmarks you can walk to from downtown. It is a nice touch for a chain with California roots, and it makes the shop feel like it belongs on King Street. Reviews on the EMBR website also give a shout to the store’s “grass wall,” so keep an eye out for that too.

Budtenders who listen

EMBR’s website puts its people first. It says its budtenders give advice based on your goals, not on sales quotas, and it describes a shop where you get real guidance on things like terpenes instead of being steered toward the flashiest package.

Customer reviews on the EMBR site back that up. One reviewer says the budtenders “guide you through your options,” and others call out the welcoming vibe and the friendly, knowledgeable staff. Another review mentions a first-visit discount, so it is worth asking about one when you check in.

What’s on the menu

EMBR Northampton keeps its menu focused on the core adult-use categories:

Flower, for the classic experience
Pre-rolls, ready to go
Edibles, for a smoke-free option
THC vapes and carts
THC concentrates

The selection changes, so check the Northampton menu online before you go to see what is in the store right now.

Order ahead, skip the line

EMBR Northampton is pickup only, so there is no delivery from this store. Ordering ahead makes it quick. Place your order online or in the EMBR app, and the store says it will be ready when you arrive.

The EMBR app is on the Apple App Store and Google Play. Orders placed through the app earn double rewards points, and the app also sends personalized deals and lets you skip the line with pickup. EMBR also advertises a VIP program for regulars, so ask about it at the counter.

Tips from the EMBR blog

EMBR keeps a blog called Light & Learn with plenty of beginner-friendly guides. A few highlights:

Know your terpenes. In its post on cannabis terpenes, EMBR explains that terpenes are aromatic compounds that give each plant its own smell and flavor, and that they show up in many other plants too. Myrcene reads earthy and musky, limonene is bright and citrusy, pinene smells like a pine forest and linalool is floral, a lot like lavender. Knowing the names makes it easier to tell your budtender what you like.

Be patient with edibles. EMBR’s guide on how long edibles take to kick in says to expect anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours, and the timing can change from person to person and day to day. Its advice is “start low and go slow”: for a first try, about 5mg of THC or less, then wait at least two hours before taking more. What you ate that day, your metabolism and your tolerance can all shift the timing.

Store it right. In its post on whether weed goes bad, EMBR says well-stored flower keeps its best quality for about six months to a year. Keep it in a dark, cool, dry place, use an airtight glass jar, and skip plastic bags, which the blog says can affect flavor. A humidity level of roughly 59 to 63 percent helps too.

Getting to EMBR Northampton

EMBR sits right on King Street, which doubles as U.S. Route 5, just past the downtown roundabout. Here are the drive times the store gives:

Hadley: about 7 minutes, following Route 9 west across the river
Amherst and UMass: about 18 minutes on Route 9 west, then onto King Street
Springfield: about 25 minutes, taking I-91 north to the Damon Road exit, then south on King Street
Belchertown: about 26 minutes, using Bay Road and West Bay Road to Route 5 and King Street

The Get directions button on this page opens the store in Google Maps.

Plan your visit

Address. 144 King Street, Northampton, MA 01060.

Hours. Sunday through Thursday, 8am to 9pm. Friday and Saturday, 8am to 10pm.

Phone. (413) 390-9333.

Parking. There is a lot off King Street, plus plenty of street parking.

Paying. Cash and debit are accepted, but not credit cards. There is an ATM on site.

Bring your ID. A valid ID showing you are 21 or older. Visitors from out of state can shop with a valid ID.

House rules. No consumption on site or in public.

Massachusetts cannabis basics

Here are the state rules from the Cannabis Control Commission:

Age. 21 or older, with a government-issued ID for every retail purchase.
Carrying. Up to two ounces in public.
At home. Up to 10 ounces, and anything over two ounces must be locked up.
Where to use it. Not in public places and not on federal land.
In the car. No open containers in the passenger area. Use a closed container in the trunk or a locked glove compartment, and never drive under the influence.
State lines. It is illegal to take cannabis out of Massachusetts, and it cannot be mailed.

Your first visit, step by step

Download the app. Browse the Northampton menu and earn double points on app orders.
Park off King Street. Use the lot or grab a spot on the street.
Check in with your ID. A valid ID showing you are 21 or older.
Tell your budtender what you want. Advice here is built around your goals, not quotas.
Pay and go. Bring cash or debit, or use the ATM on site.

Make a day of it in Northampton

Northampton is the county seat of Hampshire County, with 29,571 residents at the 2020 census. Long before the English arrived, the area was known as Norwottuck, or Nonotuck, meaning “the midst of the river.” A petition for a township was approved on May 18, 1653, and settlers arrived to stay in the early spring of 1654.

That mural at EMBR has a story behind it. The First Church on Main Street was the home church of Jonathan Edwards, the theologian who was a leading figure in a 1734 religious revival in town and a leader of the First Great Awakening. Today it is known as the First Churches of Northampton.

Northampton also has deep roots in the fight for equality. From 1842 to 1846, the Northampton Association of Education and Industry ran a utopian abolitionist community here that supported itself by growing mulberry trees and making silk. Sojourner Truth lived in that community and later in a house on Park Street, and a memorial to her now stands at Pine and Park Streets in the village of Florence. In 1867, the Clarke School for the Deaf opened in Northampton as the first permanent oral school for the deaf in the United States. Alexander Graham Bell and Grace Coolidge both served as heads of school.

Remember Carniroll? It took place at the Three County Fairgrounds, home of the Three County Fair, which was established in 1818 and calls itself the longest consecutive running agricultural fair in the country. Since 1995, the same fairgrounds have hosted the twice-yearly Paradise City Arts Festival on Memorial Day and Columbus Day weekends.

Want some green space? About 21 percent of Northampton is protected open space. Childs Park covers 40 acres with two ponds, formal gardens, rose gardens and an Italian-style garden house. The Mill River Greenway, sometimes called the Paradise Pond Trail, follows the Mill River near Smith College. EMBR’s own list of nearby favorites includes Smith College, the Calvin Theatre and Look Memorial Park.

Why EMBR Northampton is worth the stop

A mural of City Hall, West Coast roots, a husband and wife team who also run Fyre Ants, budtenders who listen, and an app that pays double points: EMBR Northampton packs a lot into one King Street shop. Order ahead, park in the lot and come say hi.

Cannabis is for adults 21 and over. Please consume responsibly.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

Where is EMBR in Northampton?

EMBR Northampton is at 144 King Street, Northampton, MA 01060, which doubles as U.S. Route 5. There is a lot off King Street and plenty of street parking. Call (413) 390-9333 with questions.

What are EMBR Northampton's hours?

EMBR Northampton is open Sunday through Thursday from 8am to 9pm, and Friday and Saturday from 8am to 10pm. Hours can change around holidays, so check the website before a late visit.

Does EMBR Northampton deliver?

No. The Northampton store is pickup only. You can order ahead online or in the EMBR app, and your order will be ready when you arrive.

What payment does EMBR Northampton accept?

EMBR Northampton takes cash and debit, and there is an ATM on site. Credit cards are not accepted. Bring a valid ID showing you are 21 or older.

Is EMBR related to Fyre Ants?

Yes. The Daily Hampshire Gazette reported that EMBR Northampton is a sister store of Fyre Ants in Easthampton, and both are managed by the same husband and wife team. The stores are about four miles apart, and many of the same sale prices show up at both.